2016 is receding into the distance and 2017 is looming. It’s Katy Haye’s turn to take a look back and forwards at her bookish years.

What was your top read of this year?

Click to read the beginning

Oh, so hard to say. But, if you lean on me I’m going to say Megan Crewe’s A Mortal Song blew me away. It’s a fantasy based in contemporary Japan and I loved all the myth and legend that came to life, the writing was beautiful and the plotting was simply stunning (check out my review). If you haven’t read it yet, that’s my top tip for 2017.

Have you come across any new authors that you’d recommend?

I discovered Leigh Bardugo this year and fell in love with her writing and the worlds she creates. I read Six of Crows first (read my review here), then (while waiting for her to write the sequel) read her Grisha Trilogy: Shadow and Bone, Seige and Storm and Ruin and Rising. If you like fantasy they are GORGEOUS. I also read Kelly St Clare for the first time. I’m working my way through her fantasy series The Tainted Accords, which creates worlds unlike any I’ve read before, populated with some fabulous characters (including a very kickass heroine). And then I was completely blown away by her sci-fi, post-apocalyptic novel, The Retreat (review here)which launched her The After series. Fabulously imaginative with lots of surprises as things don’t work out how I expected at all…

What books are you looking forward

to reading next year?

Click to read the preview

Ooh, well, I have book tokens from my birthday and I’m planning to spend them treating myself to Leigh Bardugo’s Crooked Kingdom. I lovedSix of Crows and how I’ve held off this long I’m not entirely sure! And then, I’m hoping for the next in Kelly St Clare’s The After series. Must go haunt her on Facebook and find out when it’s due…

What are you going to be working on next year?

I’m planning to keep very busy. The second in my Echoes of Earth trilogy needed more work than I’d hoped, so I’ve been busy revising that over Christmas. It goes off for another round of edits on January 9th, when I’ll switch attention to book three, Dispute, which is booked in for its first edit at the end of January! Part of me thinks I’ve maybe bitten off more than I can chew, but then again I’m loving working on the series because my editor’s comments have helped me really bring the world to life and I’m having such fun with my characters. The plan is for Dissent to be out at the end of March and Dispute at the beginning of June – I’ll keep you posted.

Do you have a book-related New Year’s Resolution?

Only to keep on reading. For the second half of 2016 I challenged myself to only read free books (legitimately free, not pirated). I (mostly, kinda) managed it, but actually I feel awful about not paying authors for their hard work, even if they’re happy to offer a free copy. I might try a Kindle Unlimited challenge for a few months, reading only books available in KU. Or maybe I’ll try something like an alphabet challenge, reading a book beginning with each letter of the alphabet during the year – add your suggestions below if there’s a reading challenge you think I should try!

What are you hoping to find underneath your Christmas tree?

Well, books, naturally. I don’t want to come across as smug (honest!) but materially I really do feel like I have everything I need. The only thing I’d really like is more time as (self-imposed) deadlines are pressing for my next books – but no one can buy me that, I’m going to have to make it myself if I need it!

What’s your favourite Christmas food?

Well, I appear to have gone on rather a chocolate binge for the second half of December, and it’s possible I’ve eaten too much (I know, I didn’t think that was possible, either) so I’m looking forward to the savoury side of things – leftovers with a nice grated-carrot salad dressed with balsamic vinegar is always a favourite of mine, especially when my body cries “Enough” and I need to get some vitamins down me!

I’d like to finish by saying thank you to all our readers. The Paisley Piranha blog has grown to over 4,000 followers, which I’m slightly amazed about. I’m so pleased you’re enjoying our reviews and posts – there’s plenty more to come in 2017!